1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to dress wheel simulators which present the appearance of chromed dress wheels for truck, utility or recreational vehicles and more particularly to a dress wheel simulator having a wheel lug nut engaging mounting system.
2. Related History
With the continued upsurge in recreational/utility vehicle sales, there has been increased demand for both OEM and aftermarket decorative wheel simulators configured for such vehicle applications. The implementation of conventional automobile wheel cover wheel rim engaging fastening systems proved impractical for truck or utility vehicle large wheel applications, especially with the axial and torsional stresses generated in conjunction with deeply dished contoured rear wheels of such vehicles.
Utilization of existing wheel lug nuts to secure wheel simulators has been the generally accepted approach as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,965 issued to the assignee of the present invention. The fastening system disclosed therein employed a simulator shell having a plurality of openings large enough to permit the shell to be passed axially over selected wheel lug nuts. Reduced diameter openings in the shell were registered with selected wheel lugs but necessitated the removal of the lug nuts associated with such lugs in order to place the simulator shell against the wheel. After the simulator shell was fitted to the wheel, a hub cover having corresponding large and small openings was also fitted to the wheel and thereafter the removed lug nuts were employed to secure the shell and hub cover to the wheel.
While such system constituted a major improvement over prior simulator mounting systems which required the removal of all wheel lug nuts, there was concern because wheel simulator components were positioned between the compressive surfaces of the lug nuts and the associated surfaces of a wheel or a factory supplied wheel compression plate.